Monday, August 9, 2010

Eva's epiphany

Eva consumed the raw dragon heart as her pulsed quickened. Like a vampire tasting blood for the first time she hoped the sensation would last forever. She couldn't believe only minutes before the thought of eating a raw heart turned her stomach. Now she relished the thought of her next dragon encounter. She felt a bit out of place longing for conflict. She was not a warrior praying to Tempus for glorious battle. Nor was she a sorceress slinging bolts of energy in Mystras name. Where the thought of combat before had filled her with fear now seemed to energize her. Until now the certainty of death was the only thing she had taken comfort in but that was no longer the case. Ingesting the still warm heart of this creature alongside her family had brought her a joy she had never known. She was eager to capture this feeling again.

She had changed in the 3 weeks since she left Waterdeep. The scared little girl everyone called odd had transformed into a fully realized knight of Samular. Her power was growing and she was developing tactics of her own. With each battle she learned more and the creatures that obeyed her commands had proven useful. As she consumed the last of her trophy a vision was granted to her and she began to recite a tale.

(Eva) -Long ago an evil dragon ruled over a large territory in the northern mountain region. He had eliminated the best warriors of all the barbarian tribes in the mountains and surrounding area to secure his position as overlord. A clan of Dwarves and even a tribe of Minotaur’s had fallen under the control of this horrific creature. Paying the beast taxes of food, gold, & blood for years they lived under the tyrannical claw of this monster. The Dragon had many servants his favorite a Halfling who would make regular visits to the local towns and villages. Tasslehoff would deliver the dragons demands of payment every month in person and would report back any misconduct to his master. Any transgression toward Tass was passed to his master for retribution.

One day Tasslehoff was traveling down the mountain when he came across a young minotaur. When the Halfling demanded the minotaur turn over all his positions to him, he reluctantly agreed. Tass took personal joy from humiliating the minotaur’s. He would often make them kneel before him and swear loyalty to his master. They where beast and he treated them like the animals he thought they were. He was quite surprised after striking this particular beast it turned and charged. He gave the command for the creature to stop but it was too late. Gored and trampled the sadistic Halfling died on the mountain pass.

King Kaz’s was ruler of the minotaur clan. Most of his warriors had been captured or killed by the dragon and his minions. The survivors were forced to serve as slave labor alongside the dwarves as they mined precious stones for the dragons treasuries. Kaz was very concerned to hear that his only surviving heir had just brutally murdered the dragons favorite magistrate. He new this would mean the end of his bloodline as the dragon would surly wish to make an example out of him.As fate would have it a group of human knights from the south had come to the aid of their barbarian cousins. Desperate and out of options Kaz made a deal with these knights. He would guide them to the dragons lair and help them defeat the dragon and his minions. In exchange the knights would free all the slaves the dragon had taken. Kaz and the knights gathered solders as they headed through the mountain towards the dragons lair. Dozens of Humans, Dwarves, & Minotaur’s joined the cause to rid themselves of the dragons tyranny once and for all.

(Insert an hour of descriptive battle scenes here as the dragon and his minions are slain. James this can be written as one of the crusade stories if you like.)

Victorious, King Kaz named the knights of Samular honorary members of his tribe. He declared the day an annual celebration of freedom in their name. Kaz and his son swore an oath should the knights of Samular ever have a need they could call on his clan for help.